Many aircraft include a yoke for controlling pitch and roll of the aircraft. Originally, the yoke was mechanically connected to the control surfaces of the aircraft such that manipulation of the yoke was opposed by forces required to move the control surfaces of the aircraft.
Newer systems have transitioned to fly-by-wire arrangements where sensors monitor changes in position of the yoke relative to a mechanical ground and convert those changes in position to corresponding control signals that represent desired amounts of change in the control surfaces of the aircraft. The signals are then sent to actuators which manipulate the position of the control surfaces.
Because there is no mechanical linkage between the motion of the yoke and the motion of the control surfaces in fly-by-wire systems, these systems would not provide any force feedback to the pilot as to the extent of the amount of change in control of the aircraft they are inputting. As such, fly-by-wire systems incorporate force feedback systems that provide force feedback to the yoke to provide some physical representation of the control surfaces of the aircraft and the degree of manipulation thereof.
Prior art force feedback systems often used complex parts, lots of parts and were often very large or spread out away from the yoke. This made the yoke more complex, more expensive and less accurate. This also made maintenance and replacement of the yoke difficult and not line replaceable.
The present invention relates to improvements in the art relating to yokes and yoke systems that have multiple yokes that have roll and pitch operations coupled.